The Book 2009 LAdy Cajuns Softball

[HoustonCajun]

_ No. 10 Michigan
No. 24 Fresno State
No. 9 Oklahoma
Unranked New Mexico _

I believe Nebraska was unranked as was Ole Miss. Our losses have come with good pitching, but no hitting and errors against average competition. The rest of this weekend will tell us how good this year's team is. Outside of this tournament, remaining competition for the rest of this year is weak at best with no ranked teams, mostly conference, except for Houston (and I'm not sure they are still ranked). Should we lose most games this week, our safety net is the SBC finally gets an automatic bid as we should easily win our conference. But, that will get us a low seed in a tough regional. So, these next 4 games are really important for post season play.

[jllanclos]

_ I believe Nebraska was unranked as was Ole Miss. Our losses have come with good pitching, but no hitting and errors against average competition. The rest of this weekend will tell us how good this year's team is. Outside of this tournament, remaining competition for the rest of this year is weak at best with no ranked teams, mostly conference, except for Houston (and I'm not sure they are still ranked). Should we lose most games this week, our safety net is the SBC finally gets an automatic bid as we should easily win our conference. But, that will get us a low seed in a tough regional. So, these next 4 games are really important for post season play. _

No way this team is any worse than a 2 seed in a regional, even without a tournament title.

[Bunch24]

Cajuns jump on Michigan 1-0 in first inning.

[UL_Cajuns]

Michigan now up 3-1

[Bunch24]

_ Michigan now up 3-1 _

Everyone I talked to said Michigan would be their toughest game this weekend. They absolutely crush the ball and have two premier pitchers.

A win over Michigan this weekend would be huge, because once UM gets through these early tournaments, they won't lose but two or three the rest of the way.

[NewsCopy]

  FULLERTON, Calif.- Louisiana’s Lady Cajuns softball team rebounded from a pair of losses at the Judi Garman Classic with a 7-0 two-hit shutout of No. 24 Fresno State.

Ashley Brignac earned her second victory of the season as she worked seven scoreless innings. Brignac allowed just a pair of singles on the night, keeping the Bulldogs off of the scoreboard. The sophomore hurler fanned 13 batters on the evening, including the first four batters of the game.

Offensively, the Lady Cajuns collected 11 hits, including four extra base hits.

Christi Orgeron paced the Cajuns with a pair of extra base hits. The freshman collected her first double and her first triple of her career in the game.

Gabriele Bridges pelted her fifth home run of the year, while Melissa Verde added a double. Karli Hubbard continued her hot play, finishing the night 3-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI.

Bridges and Orgeron led the Ragin’ Cajuns with two RBI apiece.

The Cajuns were the first to get on the scoreboard. In the first inning, Katie Smith and Hubbard led off the game with back-to-back base hits. Verde loaded the bases with a walk and Codi Runyan followed with an RBI walk to put the Cajuns out in front 1-0.

Louisiana added a run in the top of the second inning. Vallie Gaspard led off the inning with a single to second base. A ground ball moved Gaspard to second base. With two outs, Hubbard lifted the ball in to shallow right field that dropped in front of the outfielder. Gaspard scored easily from second, giving UL a quick 2-0 advantage.

Fresno State threatened in the bottom of the second inning. After Brignac fanned the first four batters of the game, she surrendered a pair of walks to give the Bulldogs a pair of base runners. With two outs, a wild pitch moved both runners into scoring position, but Brignac’s fifth strikeout of the game closed the door on the designated home team.

UL cushioned their lead in the third inning. Orgeron led off the inning with her first collegiate double. With Orgeron on second and no outs, Bridges picked up her fifth home run of the season as she belted a long fly ball over the straight away center field fence. The Cajuns failed to plate any more runners in the inning but had a 4-0 advantage after two and a half innings of play.

The Cajuns added three in the seventh inning to provide the final margin of victory, 7-0.

The Ragin’ Cajuns continue play in the 2009 Judi Garman Classic on Saturday as they take on No. 9 Oklahoma in a game slated for 5:30 p.m. (Central).

RaginCajuns.com

[NewsCopy]

 FULLERTON, Calif.-Louisiana’s Ragin’ Cajuns softball team dropped their third game of the 2009 Judi Garman Classic, falling to No. 9 Oklahoma, 8-5 on Saturday evening at Anderson Family Field.

After falling behind 8-1, the Cajuns (14-5) used a Gabriele Bridges grand slam to pull within three, but could get no closer and fell to the Sooners (22-7).

The Cajuns played extremely well defensively. UL turned a season-high two double plays, including an inning-ending 5-4-3 to halt an OU threat in the third inning. Codi Runyan caught a line drive and managed to double-up the Oklahoma runner on first. With the Sooners threatening in the sixth inning, Runyan made a running, shoe-string catch to end the inning.

Offensively, Louisiana collected four hits, slap hitters Katie Smith and Karli Hubbard combining for three hits and Bridges coming through with her second grand slam of the season.

In the circle, Donna Bourgeois took the loss for the Ragin’ Cajuns. She worked a complete game, surrendering eight runs on 12 hits. Bourgeois struck out just three batters and surrendered a pair of walks. Bourgeois kept the hard-hitting bats of Oklahoma in the field of play inducing 11 ground ball outs compared to just two fly balls.

Brittany Cuevas entered the game in the seventh inning in relief. After starting her outing with three straight balls, Cuevas regrouped and got the leadoff batter to fly out and the second batter of the inning to ground out to second base. She allowed a hot shot base hit, before inducing a ground out to end the inning.

Oklahoma was the first to score, putting up five runs in the second inning to take a 5-0 lead. The Sooners batted around, collecting six hits in the process. The biggest damage of the inning was inflicted by OU’s Krystle Huey. The sophomore placed a 2-2 pitch in between the second base and right field for a two RBI single.

The Sooners added a run in the top of the fourth inning. An infield single started the inning for OU, but Bourgeois retired the lead runner on a fielder’s choice. A deep fly ball that dropped just inside the foul line gave Oklahoma runners on second and third with one out. A ground ball plated the lead runner and a second ground ball ended the inning, but saw the Cajuns on the wrong end of a 6-0 score.

Louisiana scored a run in the bottom of the fourth inning to cut the deficit to five runs. Smith ended Allee Allen’s perfect game with a single to shallow left field. Hubbard reached on a fielder’s choice, but the throw to try to retire Smith was errant allowing both batters to reach base safely. Melissa Verde was hit by a pitch to load the bases with no outs. Runyan came through with a sacrifice fly to deep center field to score Smith from third. Bridges walked to load the bases once again, but a strikeout and a fly ball ended the inning and ended the Cajuns’ rally.

Oklahoma increased their lead in the top of the sixth inning. The Sooners added a pair of runs on one hit, leaving two runners stranded.

The Cajuns added four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning on one swing. Hubbard singled to center field to start things off for the Cajuns and Verde walked. Runyan reached on a fielder's choice and Hubbard advanced to third. Ashley Ray pinch ran for Runyan and Christi Orgeron walked to load the bases. Kelly Cormier pinch ran for Orgeron, but the Cajuns would not need the added speed as Bridges homered to right field for her second grand slam of the year, cutting the deficit to just 8-5.

The Ragin’ Cajuns conclude the Judi Garman Classic on Sunday with a single game against New Mexico. First pitch with Lobos is slated for 5:30 p.m. (Central).

RaginCajuns.com

[NewsCopy]

  FULLERTON, Calif.-Louisiana’s Ragin’ Cajuns softball team improved to 15-5 on the season as they recorded a 9-0 mercy-rule victory over New Mexico in the final game of the Judi Garman Classic in Fullerton, Calif.

The Lady Cajuns compiled 14 hits on the afternoon including four extra base hits.

Louisiana had five players collect multiple hits on the day. Karli Hubbard, Christi Orgeron, Codi Runyan, Katie Smith and Melissa Verde all collected a pair of hits apiece.

Runyan had a solo home run, while Lana Bowers, Orgeron and Verde each had doubles on the afternoon.

Runyan led all Cajuns with three RBI on the day, while Verde and Bowers each added a pair of runs batted in each. Hubbard and Smith paced UL with two runs scored each.

In the circle, Ashley Brignac was once again dominant. The sophomore pitched the complete game surrendering just four hits. She struck out seven batters, while walking just a pair.

Louisiana was the first team to score as they plated a run in the first inning. Smith led off the game with a single through the right side of the infield. Hubbard reached base on a fielder’s choice and Smith slid safely under the tag to give the Cajuns runners at first and second. Verde saw a 10-pitch at bat end with a walk to load the bases for UL with no outs. Runyan followed with a deep fly ball to center field to score Smith on the sacrifice fly to take a 1-0 lead.

New Mexico threatened in the first inning, but was unable to score a run. After striking out the first batter she faced, Brignac surrendered a walk, followed by a double to right center field. With two runners in scoring position, Brignac sat the next two batters down with strikeouts to keep the score 1-0 in the Cajuns’ favor.

The Cajuns opened the game up in the third inning with six runs on seven hits, including a home run. Runyan homered off of the left field foul pole to get things rolling for the Cajuns. Gabriele Bridges walked and Orgeron doubled to left field. Bowers followed with a doubled to left field of her own to score Bridges and Orgeron. Bowers advanced to third on a wild pitch and came around to score on an Erikka Murphy single to left center. Smith walked and Hubbard singled through the right side of the infield to give UL runners at the corners. A Verde single scored Smith from third and a wild pitch moved Hubbard and Verde both into scoring position. Runyan walked to load the bases and Bridges singled to give the Cajuns a 7-0 advantage after two and a half innings of play.

Louisiana added a pair of runs in the fifth inning to increase their lead to 9-0. Brignac retired the Lobos in the bottom half of the inning to give the Cajuns the run-rule victory.

The Ragin’ Cajuns return to action on Tuesday, Mar. 17 as they return to Lafayette for a single game with Tulsa at Alfred and Helen Lamson Ragin’ Cajuns Softball Park.

RaginCajuns.com

[HelmutVII]

Lady Cajuns 6
Tulsa 0

2 outs top of 6th

[wcd35]

Final 6-0 Cajuns. Tulsa is a long way to drive for a beating